Road Cycling - Road bike on a budget?

I currently have a Mongoose MTB and am trying to run the MS150 from Houston to Austin. Not looking forward to run 100 miles a day on a MTB but I dont have much cash for another bike either. I am new to this biking thing and I know that road bikes are horribly expensive. I have seen a Trek 1000 for 599 and there are Raleighs for closer to 500. I just need this bike to be faster than the MTB and not cost over the 599 for the Trek. What do you guys recommend in that price range?

I would definitely buy a used bike. If you must have a new one, try to find a leftover from the previous model year. Most Treks are quite decent, and the one you are considering should be more suitable than your mountain bike for a long trek.

I bought my roadbike at www.bikesdirect.com .Great prices.They have Motobecane,Fuji and KHS all in your price range.Me very happy with my Motobecane Mirage.Good luck finding the bike thats right for you.KC

I agree with John E. I tested a lot of bikes before I made my decison...I have an old trek 1000 from 1989 and it has served me well. I recently purchased a raleigh. Test ride the bikes and go with the one that fits. Raleigh does have a reputation for giving you a lot of bike for the dollar, but that won't matter if you don't like the ride.
stella :cool:

A 2nd hand road bike that fits you well will do the job fine. Ask around local bike clubs for any going. People like to upgrade their bikes quite often these days.
For your 150 mile ride and for your training which will be unsupported, you are going to have to carry some stuff. You may want to consider how you do that on a road bike. Do you want to carry stuff on a luggage rack ? If so try and get a road frame with some threaded rack eyelets. For this kind of riding, you can fix the top of the rack through the brake bolt.
Other alternatives include a handlebar bag, a seatpack, a larger saddlebag, or a rack which clamps onto the seatpost. These racks tend to be very heavy for the low weight they can carry.

A used bike is a great value, buy from your LBS and they may swap stems and bars (used) for a better fit.
If you have almost no budget try the 1.25 Iso-Tech tires on your mtb, they may be enough along with lowering your bar and fitting barrends maybe.
What ever you do ENJOY your ride! Good luck
kev

If you live in Houston, both Bike Barn and Sun & Ski are having sales this weekend (both end today, I think). Even if you go the used bike route, you could go see what's out there. I know Bike Barn is also having a good sale on accessories, so you might check that out, too.

(I have no affiliation with them, other than I bought a bike there last month, and am pleased with their service, especially their attitude towards a newbie.)

Good luck!

That exactly what I did. Went to bike barn and got a Trek 1000 for 549. Its a very nice bike that is worlds faster than the MTB. All I can say is wow......what a difference. Thanks for all the help guys. :beer:

I have only one word for this thread... ebay.

hey eclipse where exactly is bike barn? i just bought a fuji ace myself, but i wanted to try out a trek 1000, just didn't find any shops that had one. The reason i didn't go with ebay for a bike is because you can't ride one before you buy it.. and everybody was preaching fit :D but i'm so new to biking i wasn't exactly sure how a road bike was spose to fit, they all seemed awkward to me.. never really riden anything accept for cheap department store "mnt" bikes before.

Bike Barn is a local store here in Clear Lake (TX). Just put in 40 miles on it yesterday. Really nice ride. Dont beleive what they tell you. IT IS THE BIKE.:D